Security officials found graffiti defaming Islam and Arabs on the building's walls, as well as graffiti reading "price tag."

'Price tag' graffiti (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services received a call about a fire in the city's center.

"The fire took hold of the west side of the mosque," Assaf Abras, Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services spokesman, told Ynet.

Once the fire was out, firefighters inspected the building and found that slogans defaming Islam, Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad had been sprayed on the walls.

The scene (Photo: Jerusalem Fire and Rescue Services)

Some of the slogans read: "Price tag," "Kahane
was right," "Muhammad is dead," and "marked for razing."

Initial investigation suggests foul play. The mosque sustained only light damage and the police have closed the building, which is currently undergoing renovations. A joint police-Shin Bet investigation has been launched into the case.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat strongly denounced the attempted arson: "We must show zero-tolerance for any kind of violence and maintain the coexistence in the city," he said.

Meanwhile, the IDF
said that two Palestinian cars were set on fire in the West Bank overnight, one south of Nablus and the other near Qalqilya.